Article feeding apparatus



Aug..19, 1958 B. E. CASWELL ETAL' 3 1 ARTICLE FEEDING APPARATUS FiledFeb. 19, 1952 s Sheets-Sheet 1 0 w m [Q uvwsivroxs BENSON E. CASWELLMART N M. THERIAUL BYMCL-.J%

ATTOQNEY Aug. '19, 1958 B. E. CASWELL ET AL 2,348,138

ARTICLE FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 19, 1952 I s Sheets-Sheet 2 FigZlae IN VEN TORS BEN ON E CASWELL MARTIN M.THER\AULT A-FT O NEy B. E.CAQSWELL ET AL 2,848,138

Aug. 19, 1958 ARTICLE FEEDING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 19,1952 w m Mm mm am My Unite ARTICLE FEEDING APPARATUS ApplicationFebruary 19, 1952, Serial No. 272,382

4 Claims. Cl. 221-209 This invention relates to feeding apparatus,particularly for automatically supplying a succession of tray-likearticles from a stack of these articles.

Among the objects of the present invention is the pro vision of novelfeeding apparatus that furnishes a highly reliable feed of the abovetype.

The above as well as additional objects of the present invention will bemore completely understood from the following description of several ofits exemplifications, reference being made to the accompanying drawingswherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation with parts broken away of one form of feedingdevice illustrative of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail view of the apparatus of Fig. 1 taken alongthe line 2-2 with other portions shown in plan view;

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged side views partly in section of a portion ofthe apparatus of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed side elevational view of the picker andescapement assemblies and their associated parts; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detailed view, partly in elevation and partly insection, of the hollow escapement bar assembly.

According to the present invention, an article feeding apparatus of thetype described above includes a movable support structure for holding anelongated stackof these articles and advancing it along a predeterminedpath, picker elements are located in said path and actuating mechanismis connected to said elements to move them alternately toward and awayfrom the advancing end of the stack, these picker elements including aset of fingers, some spaced from each other longitudinally of the guidedstack, and positioned to engage an edge of the stack, the longitudinalspacing between the fingers being substantially equal to the distancebetween the corresponding edge portions of the individual articles forcausing the engagement of the end of the stack by atleast one of thefingers to automatically position at least one other finger between thetwo articles at the end of the stack and cause. the endmost article tobe removed from the stack by the movement of the picker elements awayfrom the stack.

The movable stack-supporting structure is advisably in the form of aconveyor belt having an approximately horizontally extending stackcarrying portion. It is advantageous to move this belt through anangular break, or change in direction, that causes stacked articles tobe loosened from nested relation as they move toward the pickerelements. In addition, effective feeding is provided by arranging forthe stack support to move faster than the picker elements removeindividual articles, and providing a positioning barrier forperiodically engaging the advancing stack end in synclnonism with theoperation of the picker elements.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a framework 10on whichis mounted a set of conveyor belt rollers 12, 14 and 16. Aroundthese rollersis Patent looped conveyor belt 18, the top run of which isbounded on each side by a side plate or guide 20. If desired, the topconveyor run can also be backed up by slide plates 22 which keep a loadon the conveyor from causing it to sag.

The conveyor is driven in the direction of arrows '24 by an impellingdevice shown as electric motor 26 through a set of interveningbelt-driven pulley wheels or chainconnected gears 28, 30, 32 and a speedreducer 34. The final driving connection is conveniently made to roller14. A stack of tray-like articles 36 can be laid down on its side on thetop run of conveyor 18 so that it is advanced by the operation of theconveyor toward a feeding zone at its right hand end, as seen in Fig. 1.Additional side supports 38 for this stack can also be provided at thisend, if desired.

Pivoted at the feeding zone, as for example about the same shaft whichcarries roller 14, there is mounted a picker frame 40 which can ingeneral have an outline corresponding to that of the individual articlesin stack 36, and large enough to fit around them. The upper end of frame40 carries a journalled link 42 on which is rotatably mounted a followerroller 44 received in a suitably shaped guide channel 46 on a fixedguide member 48 secured to framework 10. Duplicate links and guides 42,46 can be provided on either side of frame 40 with the links connected,if desired, in thegeneral form of an integral U-shaped member 50 (seeFig. 2).

To the links is secured a set of picker elements includingslidablefingers 52 and pivoted fingers 54. As shown more clearly in Fig. 3,fingers 52 are slidably held on angles 56 by means of headed studs 58bolted to angles 56 and anchoring in place spaced slide plates 60between which the fingers 52, provided with suitably shapedstudreceiving slots, are slidably fitted. The plates are shown as heldapart by marginal spacer extensions 61 formed on one or both of them.

The fingers 52 include rearward extensions 62 from which are dependedpivot clamps 64 to the lower ends of which the picker fingers 54 arepivoted. Stops 66, 68, shown as threaded studs held by jam nuts on extensions 62, limit the amount of pivoting which the fingers 54 can undergo.

Fingers 52 are arranged to resiliently positionthemselves against theforward face of the stack so that they find the right stopping pointeven though the forward articles have an irregular front face. Resilientbias, as by springs 72 connected betweenposts on the fingers and on aslide plate, urges the fingers 52 rearwardly with respect to theadvancing stack to provide effective engage.- ment. A rear limit stopwhich is shown as adjustably fixed in place on framework 10 keeps thefingers 52 from going too far back when the fingers are approaching theend of the stack. v

The pivoted fingers 54 areprovided with forwardly projecting anddownwardly extendingends 7.4 solocatedwith respect to fingers 52 thatwhen fingers 52 are brought. into engagement with the article 37 at theadvancing face .of stack 36, finger ends 74 climb over this article anddrop. between it and the next. article 39.

The links 42 are also shown as carrying a set of positioning bars orplates 76 shown in Fig. 2 as adjustably. held by means of threaded studs78.and lock nuts 30 for engaging the advancing face of the stack 36adjacent-the. engagement. zone for the picking fingers every time thepicker frame 40 reaches its rearmost position against the stack 36. Anadditional bar 82 is shown as separately pivoted by means of arms 33suitably journalled on shaft 15 for oscillation by any convenientlinkage such as a crank 83A on the far end of an operating shaft, thiscrank 83A being connected to a crank arm on shaft 132. This bar 82extends across the width of the can J veyor to similarly engage thelower portion of the stack face at the same time as plates 76 engage theupper portion. It is not necessary to use all the positioning bars shownor even to use a symmetrical arrangement of such bars. One of the bars76 can be omitted for example without changing the operation materially.

In operation, frame 40 is oscillated to and fro about shaft under theaction of a suitably shaped cam 84 carried by shaft 132, and a camfollower arm 86 integral with the frame and advantageously provided witha contact roller 87. A bias spring 88 is arranged to bias frame 40 incounterclockwise direction as: seen in Fig. 1 thereby holding thecam-following end of the follower arm 86 against its actuating cam.

An escapement mechanism indicated generally at 100 is also arranged tocooperate with the picker mechanism. The escapement mechanism includes astop bar 102 and a release bar 104, both slidably held for verticalreciprocation in a housing 106. The stop end release bars are connectedrespectively by links 108, 110 to one arm of T-shaped levers 112, 114,the other arms of which are pivoted to pivot pin 116 suitably fixed inplace on the framework 10.

The stems of these T levers are in turn connected by links 118, 120 toan oscillating wheel 122 (see Fig. 2) fixed to a journalled shaft 124.The shaft is oscillated by means of a drive arm 126 connected between acrank 128 fixed to shaft 124 and the crank arm 130 carried by the shaft132 rotatably held on framework 10 and driven as by the belt or chain134 connecting with a pulley or sprocket on shaft 31.Picker-frame-actuating cam 84 is shown also as carried by shaft 132 sothat escapement bars 102, 104 are synchronized with movements of pickerframe 40. Lower positioning bar 82 is also synchronized by driving itfrom shaft 132. The various linkages are designed to bring the stop bar102 down into blocking position, and withdraw release bar 104, as shownin Fig. 1, while picker frame 40 is moving toward the endmost article 37of stack 36. As the picker frame begins to move away from the stackafter engaging the endmost article of the stack, stop bar 102 is liftedand release bar 104 is lowered to permit the endmost article to bepulled away from the stack by fingers 74. Before the picker frame 40returns, the escapement bar 102 is lowered and the release bar 104 thenraised, so that the face of the stack can advance to the position shownafter the previous endmost article is removed. To help the lower end ofbar 104 in making its way between the last two articles in the stack, astream or blast of air can be projected against the upstanding edges ofthese articles. Such a stream or blast is conveniently introducedthrough the bar 104 as by making it hollow and connecting it to acompressed air tube not shown. This is illustrated in Fig. 6 wherehollow release bar 104 is shown connected, through suitable valving, notshown, to a source of fluid pressure 105. t

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. l, a second conveyor 150 issuitably positioned to receive the individual articles pulled forward bythe picker frame 40 which permits them to drop after they aresufliciently tilted. Inasmuch as only the upper portion of the articlesare pulled forward, these articles tilt about their lower edges. Byreason of the upward travel of the fingers 52 at the forward end oftheir stroke under the guiding action of channel 46, these fingers aredisengaged from in front of the tilted articles, permitting them to dropon conveyor 150. The tilting can be accelerated by having the lower bar82 timed to move rearwardly and strike the lower portions of thedropping articles. Such striking causes the forward ends of the articlesto reach conveyor 150 more promptly and positively. Conveyor 150 can beconveniently connected for rotation as by pulley 29 connected to theshaft driven by pulley 28 as shown. Conveyor 150 can be arranged tocarry the fed articles in uniformly spaced single file to any desired 4treating apparatus such as an after-press unit as described in theRandall Patent No. 2,704,493, granted March 22, 1955.

Where the molded pulp articles fed by the apparatus of Fig. 1 are eggcartons or the like, they can be directly taken by conveyor through afilling apparatus where they can be filled with eggs, either manually orautomatically. Alternatively, they can be fed through a printing unit asfor example by providing a chute 152 and a resiliently held escapementfinger 154 against which the conveyor 150 moves the fed articles. Thesuccessive articles are arranged to take the face-down positions shownat 156. A printing block carried by an endless chain 162 in thedirection of arrow 164 brings its forward edge into the concave end ofthe article that projects from chute 152, thereby positively engagingthe article and carrying it past the escapement finger which it forcesto tilt up out of the way. This tilting brings another finger 166pivotally held integral with finger 154 down against the conveyor 150,preventing the next article from moving down, until the first articlehas cleared the finger 154 and this finger has dropped down againraising finger 166. The dropping can be under the bias action of aspring or suitably distributed weights. The next article accordinglyslides down to the position shown at 156 and awaits the arrival of thenext printing block.

The blocks 160 have an upper face that matches all or part of the lowerface of the fed articles and can also be used as a pressing mold againstwhich the fed articles are pressed by a mating mold moved down fromabove for example, and carried by a rotary holder for example. Where thearticles are printed on, a printing roller can be used instead of apressing arrangement.

Any type of molded pulp or similar articles can be fed by the apparatusof the present invention, from molded pulp plates to egg cartons, eggflats, etc. It is usually helpful, particularly where the articles havebeen tightly pressed together in the stack, to direct an air jet from anozzle 168 at the tops of the articles over the break in the conveyor atroller 16 to better loosen the articles and assure a good separation bythe picker fingers. The nozzle is connected to a source of fluidpressure diagrammatically illustrated at 170. When the articles are ofgenerally concave or dished shape, as in egg cartons or dishes, they canbe fed while facing in either direction. Some articles such as foldableegg cartons have weakened fold lines along which they bend relativelyreadily. Such articles are best fed with their fold lines directedtoward the edge engaged by the picking fingers. However, additionalfingers can also be mounted on the vertically extending side members ofpicker frame 40 to engage the vertically extending sides of thearticles, so that easily folded articles can be fed in any position. Ifdesired, the side mounted picker fingers can even be used without thetop mounted ones.

The article feeding apparatus of Fig. 1 can advantageously be driven bythe machine it is feeding as by a chain-and-sprocket or gear drivereplacing pulley 28. This will assure that the machine being fedautomatically is kept operating at its highest efliciency.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope hereof, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodimentshereof, except as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A feeding device comprising a framework, a feed conveyor on saidframework, an escapement mechanism and a picker mechanism on saidframework in operative relationship to said feed conveyor, saidescapement mechanism comprising a pair of vertically movable escapementbars movable in a vertical plane situated adjacent one end of said feedconveyor, linkage individually connecting each of said escapement barsto a reciprocating means for alternate vertical movement thereby, saidescapement bars being adapted to engage the endmost article of a stackof articles on said feed conveyor upon movement of the escapement barsto their lowermost vertical positions, said picker mechanism beingpositioned adjacent said escapement mechanism and comprising apivotally-mounted picker frame having picker fingers at one end, saidpicker fingers comprising a slidable finger having a pivoted fingerconnected thereto, said fingers being resiliently biased in thedirection toward the end of the stack, whereby said slidable finger isurged into engagement against one face of said endmost article, and saidpivoted finger being provided with an offset end adapted to climb overone edge of said endmost article and engage the opposite face thereofwhile the said one face thereof is engaged by said slidable finger, anoscillating means for rocking said picker frame about its pivot, andlinkage operatively connecting said picker frame to said oscillatingmeans, said oscillating means being connected to said reciprocatingmeans for synchronous operation therewith.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said escapement mechanism includes anair-blast means to direct a blast of air between a pair of stackedarticles held on the conveyor adjacent said escapement bars, saidair-blast means comprising a hollow portion in one of said escapementbars, said hollow portion being connected to a source of air underpressure.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said feed conveyor comprises a beltmovable around supporting pulleys, additional supporting means for theuppermost flight of said belt, said additional supporting meansdeflecting the belt to provide a peaked portion adjacent the verticalplane of said escapement bars.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said picker fingers are movable in aguide channel, said guide channel being fixed to the framework and beingconvexely curved at a predetermined position intermediate its lengthwhereby when said fingers move across the curved predetermined position,they are moved vertically upward and out of engagement with said endmostarticle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS861,184 Jaeger July 23, 1907 945,870 Scovill Jan. 11, 1910 1,344,692Hill June 29, 1920 1,460,314 Deck June 26, 1923 1,658,724 Kendall Feb.7, 1928 1,767,634 Weiss June 24, 1930 1,913,843 Marcuse June 13, 19332,289,325 Harris July 7, 1942 2,419,351 Glassner Apr. 22, 1947 2,611,470Rudolph Sept. 23, 1952 2,624,647 Lawson Jan. 6, 1953

